The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is used for information exchange with a card-like memory module, such as a miniature card, which has a plurality of flat contacts for signal transmission on its surface.
An example of card-like memory module of the type mentioned above, which has a plurality of flat contacts arranged on a surface for signal transmission, is a miniature card which is made smaller than a conventional IC card and is used as memory, for example, in a small size computer. As shown in FIG. 10, the miniature card 70 is a plate-like rectangular form and includes three power-supply contacts 71 and first and second grooves 72 and 73, each having a different width. The first groove 72, which is wider, is used to position the miniature card correctly in the housing of a connecter, into which the miniature card is inserted. The second groove 73, which is narrower, is to prevent accidental insertion into a connector which has a different voltage rating other than the one rated for the miniature card. For a miniature card whose voltage rating is different, the second groove 73 is provided at a different position. Therefore, the miniature card 70 can be inserted into only those connectors which have a right voltage rating. The miniature card 70 further includes a plurality of signal-transmission contacts 75, which are fixed in the laterally extending two rows of contact-mounting grooves 74 that are provided near the lower end 70a on the rear surface 70b of the miniature card 70. Furthermore, near the contact-mounting grooves 74 and on the lateral sides of the card, recesses 76 are provided for engagement.
The miniature card 70 is installed into an electrical connector of a computer, which connector comprises a plurality of signal-transmission contacts in a plate-like housing. In this installed condition, the signal-transmission contacts 75 and the power-supply contacts 71 of the miniature card 70 are in contact with the corresponding signal-transmission contacts and the corresponding power-supply contacts of the connector and ready for information exchange with the computer. In the installation of the miniature card 70 into the connector, at first, the lower end 70a of the miniature card 70 is inserted obliquely into a groove which is provided in the housing of the connector, and the power-supply contacts 71 of the miniature card 70 are pressed onto the power-supply contacts of the connector which are provided in the groove. Then, the miniature card 70 is turned around the lower end 70a thereof to bring the miniature card 70 substantially parallel to the housing of the connector. As a result, the signal-transmission contacts 75 of the miniature card 70 are brought into contact with the signal-transmission contacts of the connector. In this condition, the miniature card 70 is retained securely in the housing of the connector and is locked therein by a locking mechanism which is provided on the housing. In general, the signal-transmission contacts of the connector are mounted in contact grooves which are provided in the housing of the connector, such that the signal-transmission contacts extend parallel to the length of the housing for a certain distance, and then the contact portions which are provided at the front ends of the signal-transmission contacts come out of the housing for electrical contact, each bending in a Z-shape.
A so-called horizontally mounted connector is such a connector which is mounted in the front and rear direction horizontally on a printed circuit board. In this connector, the contact portions of the signal-transmission contacts are aligned in two front and rear rows, protruding upward from the upper surface of the housing. The first signal-transmission contacts whose contact portions are aligned in the front row and the second signal-transmission contacts whose contact portions are aligned in the rear row are mounted into the housing from the front side and the rear side of the housing, respectively. In this case, the lead portions of the first signal-transmission contacts extend forward from the lower surface of the housing while the lead portions of the second signal-transmission contacts extend rearward from the lower surface of the housing. In another example of horizontally mounted connector, the first signal-transmission contacts and the second signal-transmission contacts are mounted into the housing being interchanged one after another from the front end of the housing in a laterally extending zigzag pattern, and all the lead portions of the first and second signal-transmission contacts extend in the same direction (to the front side ). In this case, the second signal-transmission contacts are formed longer than the first signal-transmission contacts, and the top ends of the second signal-transmission contacts are bent laterally in a Z shape, so that the contact portions of the second signal-transmission contacts are positioned rearward than those of the first signal-transmission contacts.
On the other hand, a vertically mounted connector, i.e., the above described connector which is mounted vertically on a printed circuit board, requires the contact portions of the signal-transmission contacts to be aligned in two upper and lower rows while the lead portions of all the signal-transmission contacts must be extended downward. This requirement makes it impossible for the signal-transmission contacts to be mounted into the housing both from the upper side and from the lower side of the housing. If the signal-transmission contacts whose ends are bent laterally in a Z shape as mentioned above are to be used, then each of the contacts must be produced individually because they cannot be produced together in a lot from a plate material in a single process. Such design for the contacts is not cost-effective.
It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical connector that reduces the number of steps involved for producing the signal-transmission contacts, which are easily mountable into the housing, thereby improving productivity.
The present invention provides an electrical connector which comprises a housing and a plurality of signal-transmission contacts (e.g., the first and second signal-transmission contacts 30 and 40 of the following embodiment). The housing comprises a rear wall, which extends substantially vertically, and a front wall, which is provided in front of and parallel with the lower part of the rear wall. The front wall is connected with the rear wall at the lateral sides of the walls. The signal-transmission contacts are arranged in parallel with one another in a laterally extending row in the rear wall, and each of the signal-transmission contacts has a contact portion at one end thereof, each contact portion protruding forward from the rear wall. In this connector, the housing is capable of receiving a card-like memory module (e.g., the miniature card 70 of the following embodiment), which is swung from an inserted position to an installed position in the housing for installation. The inserted position is defined as a condition where the memory module is tilted forward with the upper end thereof being positioned forward and the lower end thereof being shifted downward and inserted into and positioned in a groove that is defined between the rear wall and the front wall of the housing. The installed position is defined as a condition where the memory module is turned around the lower end thereof from the inserted position and is positioned substantially parallel with the rear wall. The memory module has a plurality of flat signal-transmission contacts arranged in a row on a flat surface thereof. When the memory module is brought into the installed position, the signal-transmission contacts of the memory module come into contact with the contact portions of the signal-transmission contacts of the connector. In the rear wall of the housing, a plurality of contact grooves (e.g., the signal contact grooves 21 of the following embodiment) are provided in a laterally extending row, each contact groove opening forward. Each of the signal-transmission contacts of the connector comprises an anchoring portion, a first arm portion, and a second arm portion. The anchoring portion is fixed in a corresponding contact groove of the housing, and the first arm portion extends upward from the anchoring portion. The second arm portion extends forward from the upper end of the first arm portion and has the contact portion at the forward end thereof. The signal-transmission contacts of the connector are mounted in plurality in a forward and rearward direction in each of the contact grooves, such that the second arm portion of the signal-transmission contact which is positioned rearward in each contact groove extends above and forward longer than the second arm portion of the signal-transmission contact which is positioned forward in the same contact groove. As a result, the contact portions are aligned in upper and lower rows in front of the rear wall.
In this design of the connector, a plurality of signal-transmission contacts are provided in each contact groove. Therefore, the number of contact grooves provided in the housing is substantially smaller than that of a similar type prior-art connector. Thus, the design of a metal mold which is used for forming the housing of the connector can be simplified. Also, in this connector, all the signal-transmission contacts are mounted into the housing from one side (i.e., the lower side) of the housing, so the mounting of the contacts into the housing is relatively easy. Furthermore, in the connector of the present invention, the signal-transmission contacts are not configured in a Z shape as the prior-art connector, so they can be produced in a large number in a lot from a plate material. Thus, the manufacturing steps can be simplified to improve productivity.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.